Wilderness News Releases

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today approved five important wilderness bills, sending them to the Senate floor, during a markup of four dozen public lands, forests, water and historic site bills.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the first and second wilderness bills of 2008 today—protecting land from one coast of the nation to the other. The Wild Monongahela Act (H.R. 5151) would designate more than 37,000 acres of the wildest land left in the Monongahela National Forest, and the Copper-Salmon Wilderness Act (H.R. 3513) would ensure permanent protection of some 14,000 acres of pristine, old-growth forest surrounding the headwaters of the Elk River in the Siskiyou National Forest on Oregon's southern coast.

The Campaign for America's Wilderness applauds the work of the Owyhee Initiative Work Group, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), which has resulted in today's hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests on the Owyhee Public Land Management Act of 2008 (S.

As the nation prepares to observe the 38th annual Earth Day, a new national report calls attention to ten wild places that are in trouble-places of our original Earth increasingly at risk of losing their wilderness qualities.  Wild...for How Long?  Ten Treasures in Trouble (PDF 5.8 MB) looks at some of the country's yet unprotected wild land and finds that from coast to coast, many of America's special wild places remain vulnerable to mining, drilling, roadbuilding, logging, development and off-road vehicle abuse.

All Americans have something to cheer today - just a week before Earth Day - as three important conservation bills, which will protect some very special pieces of our "original Earth," move another critical step toward enactment.

Citizens of Washington State and all across America have reason to celebrate today, with passage in the Senate of the Wild Sky Wilderness Act, as part of a larger lands package.  This important conservation bill will forever protect more than 106,000 acres of scenic national forest lands in the Wild Skykomish River region. 

For more than two decades, the debate over the future of America's incomparable public lands in the State of Utah has been mired in conflict and stalemate.  We wish to congratulate Sen. Bennett for introducing S.

Americans are an important step closer to being guaranteed the opportunity to forever hike, hunt, camp, canoe, climb and pursue other recreational opportunities in two special wild places at opposite sides of the country, as the House Natural Resources Committee today approved wilderness legislation protecting public land in Oregon and West Virginia, sending them to the House floor. 

Oregon Representatives Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer deserve high praise for seeking common ground on additional wilderness in their state.  Their intention to introduce a measure to boost protection for the Mt.

We applaud the introduction this week of the “Protecting America’s Wild Places Act of 2008,” (H.R. 5610), which when enacted will add nearly a half million acres of public land across five states to the National Wilderness Preservation System for the use and enjoyment of all Americans. All Americans should appreciate the commitment of Representatives Nick Rahall, Raúl Grijalva, Jim Costa, Peter DeFazio, Tom Udall, and Mary Bono Mack for working to move this bill forward.